Folding stepladder



Aug- 5 1930- v. F. FRANcols 1,772,213

FOLDING` STEP LADDER Filed Juno 6, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor y By M2022..

' V ttarngy Aug 5, 1930. v. F. FRANcols 1,772,213

Fowma STEP LADDER Filed Jun. 6, 192s 5 sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Aug. 5, 1930. v- F. FRANCOIS FOLDING STEP LADDER rusa Jun. e, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug'. 5, 1930. v. F. FRANCOIS FOLDING STEP LADDER rund Jun. e, 102e 5 Sheets-Shes?I Aug- 5, 1930. v. F. FRANcols 1,772,213

FOLDING STEP LADDER Filed June 6, 1.928 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor ttorllqy APatented Aug. 5, 1930 VICTOR F. FRANQOISM oF NEW YORK, N. Y.'

FOLDING STEPLADDER Application le. June 6, 1928. Serial No. 283,366.

The present invention relates to folding step ladders, and has for its principal object to provide a novel Construction in an article of this character, in which the ladder may be folded into an exceedingly compact form, so as to permit the convenientI transportation thereof, when packed in a relatively small container, such, as, for instance, a suit case or the like.

A further object of the invention is `to provide an article of this character, in which the legs of the ladder areD arranged for folding, as well as each individual step forming a part of the ladder.

A still further object is to provide an arf l ticle of this character which is4 simple and reference being practical in construction, which is strong and durable, in which the same may be *converted into its foldedor extended position with a minimum amount of time and'eifort, which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted, to the purposes for which the same is intended. y Other objects and advantages reside in the special construction and combination of the various elements comprising the invention, had toI the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a suit case of conventional construction, with parts broken away and shown in section, so as to illustrate the manner in' which the step ladder may. beA

folded, for transporting therein.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view the ladder vinl extended position.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view thereof.

Figure 4 is a'front elevational view,showv ing,the manner in vlwhich one of the forward and rear legs of the ladder are adapted for transverse movement upon the folding of the V steps of the ladder.

'i -iadder in folded folding sections Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the` osition.

Figure 6 is 'a ragmentary detail perspecthehinged connections for Figure 7 is a similar view.

, Figure 8 is an enlarged, detail, in section, s of the intermediate l joint for a pair of the of the legs.

,each

10 is a fragmentary detail, inlele- Figure 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top'step of the ladder, and illustrating the guide rod for the transverse movement of vone of the forward and rear legs of the ladder. f n

Figure 13'is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through one of the intermediate steps of the ladder.

Figure 14 is aV vertical sectional view,

taken substantially along the line 11-714 of N Figure 13. l l

Figure 15`is a pers ective view of one the step supporting p ates.

Figure 16 is a similar view of one of the pporting armsI for the steps'.

Cil

Figure 17 is a fragmentary verticall sec,

tional view through one of the legs, and

Figure 18 is a perspective view of one of the U-shaped brace members for securing of the steps. .l Referring now vto the drawing in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferredembodiment of my in' vention, the numeral 5`designates a vpair of sectional spaced apart front legs of a ste ladder, and the numeral 6 designates a simllar pair of rear legs therefor.

Theupper ends of each of the sets areconnected with a top platform or member 7,1 having a pair of spaced transversely extending guide rods 8, secured to its under side in spaced relation therefrom, the rods 8 being inserted through openings formed adjacent the upper ends of the respective legs. The ends of the guide rods 8 extend upwardly for attachment to the unfl der side of thebridge member as shown at 9 and provides a ,stop at each end of the guide, limiting the transverse movement of each of.

bridge apart r f the legs. At spaced intervals upon the inner lo l plate 10, by means outer ends of a sectional stepsupporting arm edge 'of 4 15. Each of the projections 12 has one of the arnis extending therefrom, with its opposite end similarly connected to the opposite 'projectioncarried on theother leg of the ladder. The sections of the arm 15 are of a duplicate formation, and are'connected to eachother by a hinge joint 16. This joint is disposed ysubstantially equi-distantly between the front legs 5. -Each section-of the arms 15 are provided with the longitudinallyl extending slotted opening 17 within whic is slidab disposed-the angularly arranged extremity 18 formed at the end of a U-shaped rod 19. The vend of the bracket 19 is preventy the art.

wardly Figure 13 of the drawing,

ed, from withdrawal from the slotted openof a washer 20, ysecured thereon, in any suitable manner, well known in The bracket 19 .isi inclined downin a direction toward the adjacent leg 5, and is pivotally seated` in arcuate s haped lugs 21 struck out from the face` of the plate '10. It will'be apparent,l from the foregoing that by reason of this construction, the arms 15 may `fold upwardly from their hinged connection 16,'the ends 18 of the bracket being slidably disposed in the slotted openings so as to permit this upward Jfolding movement of the sections of'the arm. It will be apparent, however, from an inspection of that the arm -15 is prevented from swin lng downwardly, by reason of the vends of t e bracket engaging the end of the slotted opening 17 and accordingly the arm tion between-the legs 5. Upon the upper edge of each pair of arms 15 is formed an angular larms in any suitable manner of the brace 23 being pivotal intermediate their adjacent .ends v-by a pivot J Oneof the sections'of the .brace-is flange 15 providing attaching means fora attached to the and adapted for movement with the respective sections of the arms 15, when folded upwardly. The rear legs 6 are connected by a sectional brace 23, the opposite ends of theibrace being pivsectional step 22, which is otally attached to brackets 24 attached tothe,

opposed edges of the rear legs the sections y connected,

pin 25. provided with an extension 26 disposed in closely spaced parallel relation with respect to thegothe'r of said sections-and having stops 27 formed at its end and extending laterally therefrom in overlapping relation with respect. to the other -of said sections, whereby to prevent the downward folding movement 6.5 thereof. The brace is thus secured in horizontal position for supporting the rear legs is supported in horizontal posi- 6 in spaced relation, as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, and may befolded upwardly as shown in Figure 4, to 'permit the legs to be moved toward eachother, the man- -vided with an end plate 31 to forma reinforcement for the material at the ends of the sections, the ends ofthe ,plate of the lower section 29 also being provided with a pair of spaced apart spring pressed fingers 32.

`The end of the plate carried at -the adjacent end of the intermediate section 30 having its Asides formed 4with transversely extending grooves within-which the fingers 32 are wseated in friction gripping relation. The rear edges of the Vplates 31 carried by the adjacent ends of the leg sections are also'connected by a hinge 33, whereby to provide for the folding of the lower section 29 upwardly and rearwardly against the rear edge of the intermediate section 30. Between the upper ends o f the intermediate section 30 and the upper relation from the upper section 28 as illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawing, the space between such sec/tions serving to accommodate the lower leg section 29.

The rear legs 6 are likewise formed into sections and connected to each other in a similar manner as that provided for the front legs and accordingly are adapted to be Afolded similar thereto. However,instpad of connecting the sections of the rear legs 6,for folding rearwardly andvupwardly, the hinges are arranged at the front edgesof the rear legs, so that the vsame mayv fold forwardly and upwardly las clearly illustrated in Figures 3 4and 5 of the drawings. 'Accordingly when 'arranging the legs in their folded positions, one of the front legs 5 is moved along the rod Steward one edge of the ladder, and the opposite rear leg 6 is moved toward the opposite edge, as illustratedo in Figure 4 of the drawings, so that the respective legs may be Jfolded without interfering withfeach other.

-section y28. is'interposed a hinged block 34,

' brace being pivotally connected at one end by a pivot pin 37, to a bracket38, attached to the front leg 5, and having its opposite end formed into a pair of spaced apart spring pressed fingers 39 extending outwardly from each other in opposite directions and arranged for insertion in a channel shaped guide 40, attached to the respective rear leg 6. The walls of the channel shaped guide 40 are formd with a series of inwardly extending clips 41, adapted to restrict the movement of the lingers 39 within the guide.

The end of the brace provided with the fingers 39 is thus prevented from accidentally slipping from the guide, after the same has been placed in position therein, for supporting the legs of the ladder, in spaced relation for use, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. It will be apparent from the foregoing that the various parts entering into 'the construction'of vt-he,ladder may bev folded in an ex: t-remely comp ct manner as shown in Figure 5 of the drawi Us nd may be conveniently packed, when so folded,'within a suitcase, as shown at 42, ,fon the convenient transportation thereof. It is obvious from the foregoing that the invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and IIy accordingly claim all such forms of the device to whichI am entitled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is: l. A folding step ladder comprising a bridge member, spaced apart guides mounted on said bridge member, a ladder unit slidably connected with one of the guides and having foldable steps and a prop unit slidably connected with the other guide, said ladder and prop units consisting respectively of sectionshingedly connected to be folded upwardly, and inwardly one upon the other in a compact form, said ladder and prop se'cf t tions being collapsible respectively at diag yonally opposite portions of said guides,

whereby the foldedsections may be folded laterally of each other. I f

2L A. folding step ladder Jcomprising a bridgey member, spaced apart guides mounted onl said bridge member, a ladder Vunit-,slida-bly connected with onegof said guides .and having foldable steps, a .prop unit ally of each other, a brace on one of the ladder sections, and a brace securing guide on one of the top sections.

3. A foldable step ladder comprisin a bridge member having a pair of depen nig parallel guides, a pair of spaced legs slidably connected with one of the said guides and consisting respectively of sections hingedly connected to be folded one upon the other, c

foldable steps connecting corresponding sections and collapsible to permit the said legs to be moved relatively into juxtaposition, and a prop depending from the` other guide and also/consisting of foldable sections.

4. A foldable step ladder comprising a bridge member, guides on saidmember, a pair of spaced legs slidably connected with each guide, each of said legs consisting of-upper and lower sections hingedly connected to permit the folding of the lower sections inwardly and upwardly of the upper sections, foldable elements connecting the corresponding sections of the Hair of legs and collapsible to permit the said legs to be moved into juxtaposition, and means for holding the respective upper and lower sections in extended rela- Y' tion, said means compr1s1ng a pair of spaced i apart spring fingers carried by one of the sections for frictional gripping engagement with an adjacent section.

5. A foldable ladder comprising a pairV of legs having openings in the upper ends thereof, a transversely extending guide rodl sponding projections of opposed plates, saidizo arms respectively consisting of longitudinal- 7`ly slotted and hingedly connected sections, a

U-shaped rod associated with each plate with its bight portion pivotallylseated in the said A lugs of the plates-and its arms engaged in the slots of said-step supporting anms, and step sections carried by 'said arm sections.

In testimony whereof I` affix my si nature'.

' VICTOR- F. FRAN OIS.

I slidably connected with the other` guide,4` `said ladder and 'prop units consisting to be folded upwardly and inwardly one upon the other in compact form, said ladder and. f prop sections being collapsible respectively 1 against diagonally opposite p ortions'of said guides whereby the units may be folded laterf respectively of sectionsl hingedly connected iso 

